


Prague

by Roshwen



Series: Field trips [4]
Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Another city trip!, Cassandra knows poetry too, Fluff, Multi, Romance, The boys are an old married couple, They all love each other though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 16:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12916119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roshwen/pseuds/Roshwen
Summary: Their trip to Prague starts with a case and ends in a church because Cassandra just had to go and say hi to somebody. Welcome to Prague!





	Prague

**Author's Note:**

> Another city trip, because why stop when you're just starting to enjoy yourself. Also, because that friggin' poem got stuck in my head and this seemed to be the only way to let it out. Enjoy!

Their trip to Prague starts with a case. It’s a relatively small one this time, because the artefact they are chasing won’t bring about the end of the world (for a change), it just causes the most horrid bad luck to any poor soul who touches it.

As Jenkins had explained it, the ring that is now safely wrapped up inside Jake’s handkerchief and tucked away in Cassandra’s purse, once belonged to a proud and penny-pinching aristocrat who had tossed it into the river rather than give it to charity. One beggar woman’s curse later, the ring was swallowed by a fish, the fish was caught by a fisherman, bought at the market by the maid and subsequently cooked and served up to the aristocrat, who cut it open and lo and behold, found his ring again. No Mr. Jones, this ring bore no relation to the One Ring at all, but it did cause the aristocrat to lose everything, his wealth, his house and his status, within a year. And it had done the same to every unlucky bastard who laid hands on it ever since.

But now the ring is found, the case is closed and they still have almost an entire day to while away. Of course, they could go back to the Annex like the responsible Librarians they are, but Ezekiel has noticed how Jake keeps eyeing the city around him, facts and tidbits about the architecture barely kept to himself. And how Cassandra seems to be drifting further and further away from their group in the direction of the Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock.

So he has a quiet word with Baird, promises her he’ll have the others back at the Annex by tomorrow morning and that they will come back immediately if the clippings book starts acting up. Ten minutes later, Baird opens a door in an alleyway and disappears, leaving Ezekiel to turn to the others with a face-splitting grin. ‘Who’s up for some sight-seeing?’

Jake and Cassandra are _absolutely_ up for sightseeing.

‘Great,’ Ezekiel says, grinning impossibly wider. ‘You know, I used to live here for a couple of months, so if you would just follow me?’

‘What the hell were you doing in Prague?’ Jake asks, very much against his better judgment, as they set off in the direction of the Old Town Square.

Ezekiel stops and looks around quickly before he tells Jake, in a serious whisper that carries up and down the street: ‘Classified information, mate,’ making Jake roll his eyes and groan to hide his laughter and Cassandra punch his arm before she bursts out in giggles.

They’re off to a good start, then.

\---

At the clock, Ezekiel doesn’t bother looking up. He’s seen the thing already and while it looks pretty enough, he is more interested in the way Cassandra is explaining the inner workings, talking a mile a minute and hands flashing through the air like she’s solving the world’s largest sliding puzzle. Jake is looking at her as well, just as enraptured. Late morning sunlight catches in Cassandra’s flaming hair as she looks up to the both of them, the brightest smile shining in those big blue eyes. Her happiness is infectious, as always, so that they have no choice but to smile back, wrap an arm around her waist and shoulder and bask in the joy of simply existing here, at this moment and with the three of them.

(Jake and Cassandra don’t notice how Ezekiel, even in that moment, quietly but firmly manages to dissuade a pickpocket from taking Cassandra’s purse. Yes, the guy’s fingers will hurt for a while but it’s for his own good.)

\---

After the clock, it’s architecture hour with Dr. Jacob Stone. Which means they spend two hours walking through tiny and not so tiny streets, listening to Jake describing the various building styles, techniques and histories of the houses and shops they are walking past. Even Ezekiel has to admit it is pretty fascinating stuff, partly because Prague is ancient and a lot of gory cool stuff happened here and partly because, well. It’s _Jake._ The man could be reading the _phonebook_ out loud and Ezekiel would be riveted.

Okay, perhaps not the phonebook. But watching Jake talk, eyes lit up with wonder and that magnificent hair quivering with enthusiasm? Ezekiel couldn’t look away if he tried. _Especially_ not when they are standing on front of the house where Beethoven used to stay when he was in the city and Jake goes on a bit of a tangent about deaf composers with terrible attitudes.

‘Sounds a bit like Jenkins,’ Ezekiel grins, earning him another ‘I’m definitely not amused by this’ glare from Jake and another punch and giggle from Cassandra.

\---

By then, it’s time for lunch and souvenir shopping. Lunch is procured from a tiny hole in the wall that serves sandwiches which contain more meat than bread and which make Jake’s eyes gleam with delight. Just as Ezekiel remembers that Cassandra is with them too, she surprises both the boys by not only ordering her sandwich in fluent German (which everybody here seems to understand better than English), but by devouring it so fast Jake and Ezekiel barely have time to blink.

‘What?’ she asks with a triumphant grin at their stunned faces. ‘I got hungry.’

Ezekiel doesn’t ask. Not even when she buys herself one of those doughnut ice cream cones for dessert, although Jake looks a little wary at the amount of sugar their hyperactive mathemagician is about to consume.

For souvenirs, they split up. Because however much they might love each other, the boys are not going to spend the entire afternoon in Prague in various vintage clothing boutiques and Cassandra is not looking forward to watching the boys try out fifty different types of beer. So they go their separate ways, agreeing to meet back up again at the Charles’ Bridge after two hours.

\---

Two hours and ten minutes later, Jake is hurriedly making his way through the narrow streets, clutching his brand new copy of Kafka’s _The Metamorphosis_ in the original German and a bag with a bottle of Becherovka. He might have gotten distracted a little while souvenir shopping, but he still prides himself on being only ten minutes late. After all, the Kafka museum had been _very_ interesting. A little disturbing, sure. But interesting nonetheless.

When he gets to the bridge, however, only Ezekiel is there, tapping his foot and looking at an imaginary watch.

‘About time, cowboy,’ he says, the smile taking the sting out of the sarcasm a little. ‘You didn’t happen to find our princess somewhere along the way, did you?’

Jake shakes his head. ‘Haven’t seen her,’ he says. ‘Probably still trying to decide between three pairs of shoes that all look exactly the same.’

They give it another ten minutes, with Jake quietly admiring the view of the castle across the river and Ezekiel watching the throng of tourists bustling past (and shaking his head at all the valuables on display, ripe for the taking. It’s a good thing he’s reformed, it really is).

When those ten minutes have failed to produce anything that looks like a tiny whirlwind with red hair and a penchant for numbers, Jake turns to Ezekiel. ‘I know you promised not to track our phones anymore,’ he says.

Ezekiel is already reaching for his pocket. He taps a few buttons but then frowns at the screen in confusion. ‘That’s weird. Why would she go to church?’

‘Let me see that,’ Jake says, grabbing the phone.

‘Ah,’ he says softly as he sees where the dot labeled ‘Princess’ is hiding out. ‘Yeah, we should’ve seen that coming.’

\---

It’s cool and quiet in the church, a welcome change from the heat and bustle outside, but Cassandra doesn’t notice.

She doesn’t notice because she is sitting in one of the benches, lost in time and space and history while gazing at the somber grey plaque with golden lettering in front of her. Elbows resting on her knees, hands clasped tight to stop them from waving through the air on their own, she sees nothing but stars and planets turning, turning in a slow, everlasting waltz before her mind’s eye.

It’s true that he got some things wrong. But he was still one of the fathers of modern science, and Cassandra could not leave Prague without paying him a visit.

The fact that it’s turning out to be quite a long visit is something she doesn’t notice either. Not until a gentle hand lands on her shoulder from behind and a voice above her head rumbles: ‘ _Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet.’_

‘ _When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet,’_ she continues softly, leaning into Jake’s side for a second before she scoots down the bench so he and Ezekiel can sit down next to her. ‘I know that one.’

‘It’s a fine poem,’ Jake says, wrapping arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head as she smiles and leans in against him. ‘So. You went to say hi to Mr. Brahe and forgot the time, is that it?’

Cassandra nods. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just… I started thinking.’

Ezekiel’s snort echoes through the empty church. ‘Don’t worry, princess. Happens to the best of us.’

This may or may not be followed by a subtle elbow jab at Jake, which in turn is definitely _not_ followed by Jake almost shoving Ezekiel out of the bench and on to the slabs of the church floor. But after Cassandra reminds them, hissing furiously that _guys we’re in a church please behave,_ they hastily sit themselves back down.

Silence falls. Jake is still holding on to Cassandra, one hand rubbing slow circles in the fabric of her coat, while Ezekiel has slung an arm across the back of the bench so he can touch them both. It’s a perfect peaceful little moment after a case, a bit of quiet after the hustle of a major city.

The moment is broken when Cassandra starts to whisper, so low that Jake and Ezekiel barely catch it. ‘ _Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.’_ She looks up at the both of them, eyes a little damp but still smiling. ‘I always liked that part the best.’

Jake is quiet for a very long moment before he looks at her and says in a rough voice: ‘It suits you.’

\---

Barely a minute later it’s Ezekiel’s turn to hiss in a scandalized voice that they’re _still in church could we at least wait until we find a hotel before we start making out._

Jake and Cassandra reluctantly agree.

**Author's Note:**

> Poetry reference: [The Old Astronomer](http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/49415133926/from-the-old-astronomer-to-his-pupil-by-sarah)


End file.
